As a year of contentious global-warming summits, frustrating health care reform debates and fallen sports idols draws to a close, why not pledge to make your little part of the world healthier next year by volunteering for one of San Francisco's bike-related organizations. Whether you want to build a more bikeable city, to give greater transportation autonomy to the underfinanced and underaged, or to bring nature a little closer for city-dwellers, opportunities abound to join others with the same ambitions.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition offers something for just about everyone - from stuffing envelopes at Wednesday night mailing parties, to writing articles, doing data entry, leading rides, parking bikes at diverse events across the city or spreading the word through community outreach. Volunteers for the latter shouldn't be intimidated, volunteer Constance Cavallas says, as the coalition offers training, and "it's easy to talk to people about something you're interested in."

Volunteer options should proliferate this spring as Bike to Work day approaches and the coalition welcomes dozens of new bike lanes and street improvements in the wake of the city's newly approved Bike Plan. What volunteers get in return, Cavallas says, is "just a better sense of the city." Plus, she adds, "I ended up feeling a lot like I've contributed to the change in our community."

S.F. Urban Riders

Fans of the city's green spaces can get a similar sense of satisfaction with the San Francisco Urban Riders ( www.sfurbanriders.org). SFUR seeks to create a dedicated bike park in McLaren Park or Golden Gate Park, while building a network of off-road bike trails throughout San Francisco. Aside from giving experienced mountain bikers legitimate places to ride and revitalizing neglected corners of the city, says SFUR board member Dayton Crites, these areas offer new cyclists a safe place to develop the skills and confidence to become everyday urban riders.

SFUR joins with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department on the first Saturday of each month for trail-building parties on Mount Sutro. In addition to "a good workout and free pizza and beer afterward," says Crites, anyone "passionate about walking trails or riding trails," gets the benefit of "seeing this beautiful trail come together." The group is also looking for people with mapping and political-organizing skills to help visualize and implement their dream.

"If you're the kind of person who gets a lot out of nature," he says, "it feels good to give something back."

The Bike Kitchen

Cyclists who want to give back to the community while developing skills of their own can pitch in at the Bike Kitchen (650H Florida St., S.F.; www.bikekitchen.org), where a volunteer staff makes biking accessible to youth and the financially challenged. The shop offers a sense of comradeship and exposure to a wide range of the bike world, says Kitchen staffer Jeremiah Ducate.

"I'm pretty passionate about biking and I enjoy helping people and that sense of helping your community and encouraging people to ride bikes," he says. "There are a lot of people who need bikes who wouldn't have the capacity to keep them running without us."

Opportunities exist for budding and experienced mechanics, but the Kitchen also needs volunteers for organization and maintenance around the shop, sign-making and graphics, grant-writing and collecting donated parts. Six hours of service earns you an annual membership at the shop, and three months of shift work brings you staff privileges like discounted parts and all-hour access to the facilities.

On the other hand, if you want to atone for future lapses now, get up early Friday and race 31/2 miles straight uphill in the annual rite of hangover defiance known as the San Bruno Mountain Hill Climb. But, really, a commitment to volunteering is not all about making sacrifices. After all, for the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's Cavallas at least, "it doesn't feel like a job - it's just fun."

Bike About Town is presented by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, an 11,000-member nonprofit dedicated to creating safer streets and more livable communities by promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation. For more biking resources, go to www.sfbike.org.

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